Stillers @ Kansas City Pregame Analysis

October 12, 2001 by Steel Phantom

Stillers @ Kansas City

Stillers @ Kansas City

If they are truly
contenders, then this is just the kind of game that the Stillers need to
win.�� The Chiefs are an average, maybe
below average, team and as such are imminently beatable.�� On the other hand, they are defending their
home and, historically, Arrowhead has been a tough venue.� Playoff teams do beat inferior opponents
whether at home or on the road.� In
Jagland, the Stillers let one slip away; this week, they must take care of
business.

When the
Stillers have the ball.� With few exceptions, the Chief defenders
are old and undersized.� I like ROLB
Donnie Edwards and RCB Eric Warfield.� The
Chiefs do have a young aggressive tandem of big-hitting safeties in Jerome
Woods and Greg Wesley.� Otherwise,
there�s not much there.�

There is no mystery
in this tilt; the Stillers are averaging 188 yards per game rushing and the
Chiefs haven�t stopped the run.� ��In fact, KC has allowed 506 yards rushing @
4.3 per crack.� Maybe, that stat is
somewhat deceptive since nearly 200 yards came last week against Denver.� Evidently, the Chiefs sold out against the
pass in that game; Denver had only a bit over 100 yards through the air but
successfully controlled the clock behind Mike Andersen.� The Equines entered that game with only (1)
healthy frontline WR, Rod Smith; still the Shanahan passing scheme has to
command more respect than the Stillers�.�
That so, whatever D-side strategy the Chiefs used last week, in getting
run-gouged, will be extinct this Sunday.��

Excluding the
Denver game, KC still has allowed nearly 4.0 yards per carry.� Whatever, the Stillers should be able to
handle the KC FR.7.� The Chief D-line
lacks any anchor; DT Browning and Ransom do have some stuffs as does DE Duane
Clemons but, likely, these have resulted more from gap shots than any prowess at
the POA.� LDE Eric Hicks has been
mystery; this man came out of nowhere in 2000 to have a fine season but in 2001
has, so far, returned to his origins.� The
key to this game lies with the KC safeties; if the Stillers can get them off
the line then the Bus will roll.� If
not, well, we�ll find out. �So
far, the Stillers have shown nothing to prevent teams from putting 9 from the
box.� IMO, a 3-WR set might help; a 3rd
wide would draw some notice from FS Woods.�
Anyway, to win the Stillers must:

Run often and
run left:� RDE Clemons is weak at the point; ROLB
Donnie Edwards does his best work in pursuit.�
Run at them; run left, run often.

Abuse Ray
Crockett:� Generally this team singles up their CB
and asks Edwards, MLB Marvcus Patton and the safeties to run to the ball. �Crockett is 34; Denver let him go because he
is just no longer a player you can win with.�
�Crockett has heart and smarts
but lacks size and speed.� This is yet
another opportunity for Spike to justify his existence.

Get out
early:� The Stillers can�t play catch-up; nor can
they allow the Arrowhead faithful any cause for optimism.� The O-side will need to take care of the
ball; they have (10) fumbles this season (with (4) lost).� Traditionally, the Chiefs are a very good
takeaway team; the Stillers will need to take care of the ball this Sunday.

When the
Chiefs have the ball:� For years, the heart of the KC offense
was in the interior O-line with Shields, Grunhard and Szott.� Shields is the sole survivor now and the 2001
Chiefs have real problems inside.� LG
Marcus Spears is a journeyman, as is OC Casey Wiegmann; the Stillers have
gotten a lot of push from Clancy/Hampton and penetration from Bell; here�s
another chance for those men to shine.� The
KC tackles are pretty good; ROT Vic Riley is a big hitter but can lose it going
for the kill shot; LOT John Tait is very sound. �

KC has some good
overall rushing statistics but excluding the Skins game, the Chiefs have not
established the run.� Priest Holmes has
240 yards rushing; of those, 147 came against Washington.� Now it is true that KC has played the Raiders,
NYG and Broncos.� Those are good
defenses but, given their #3 rank, we should expect the Stillers D-side to
stuff Holmes and the other Chief backs.

KC has given
only (7) sacks in (4) games.� That looks
good but, from all reports, Trent Green took a terrible beating from both the Raiders
and Giants.� As a result, while the
Chiefs got some yards in the air in those games, they really didn�t establish
much.� They were 6.00 YPA against the
Raiders and below that against the Giants.�
That�s losing football; given that the Chiefs best chance to win is to
get airborne, it is obvious that pressure is crucial in this contest.� To win, the Stillers must:

Jam the young
WR: Ram-ball is all
about timing; the Chiefs are down to (3) WR and none have any experience.� Jam them early and jam them often.

Get Porter
off:� Joey has played solid all around football but has only (1)
sack to show.� There will be opportunities
over OC and LG; hopefully, Coach Lewis will show more of the creativity that he
first revealed in Buffalo in moving Porter along the line.� Pressure disrupts timing too (see the
Eagle-Ram opener section in Schizoid and�).�
For sure, it is tough to throw accurately with a helmet in your chest.

Account for
Tony Gonzales (and Holmes too):� Lacking bodies at WR, Vermeil will move
Gonzales and Holmes around.� Porter,
Bell and Scott may be able to match-up with Gonzo but I�ve got my doubts about
the Stiller safeties.� I think Coach
Lewis will single up Scott and DW against the KC WR and run some varying combinations
of safeties and LB at Gonzales.� Vermeil
likens Holmes to Faulk but I don�t see it.

Get some
takeaways:� The Stillers are a disturbing �3 in this
department.� The O-side has (2) INT and
lost 4/10 fumbles.� The D-side has (2)
picks but only one fumble recovery.